Introduction to the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study

The National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program ensure that school-age children have access to nutritious meals and snacks to support their growth and development. Starting in the 2012-13 school year, schools began using updated nutrition standards that affected the food and nutrient content of school meals. This video introduces the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study, which was commissioned by the USDA Food & Nutrition Service to examine implementation of the new standards and their impact on program operations, nutritional quality of meals, students’ dietary intake, and meal costs in the 2014-15 school year. The full study report is available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-nutrition-and-meal-cost-study.